Means for indicating the direction of travel of vehicles and vessels.



H. T. 00888 & E. T. JOHN.

MEANS FOR mmcmms THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL 0F VEHICLES AND VESSELS.

- APPLICATION FILED )AN. I2. 39H}. LQ90, 1 1 9 Patented Jan. "2, 1919.

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MEANS FOR mmcmme THEDIRECTION 0F TRAVEL 0F VEHICLES AND VESSELS.

FILED JAN 12.1918.

Patented Jan. 7, I919.

APPLICAUON '3 SHEETS--SHEEI 2.

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V H. T. 00888 & E. T. JOHN. MEANS FOR INDICATING THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL 0F VEHICLES AND vEssEIs.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. [2. I918. 1,2901 19.. Patented Jan. 7,1919.

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was: warm "mm mm mm um e ATENT enric HERBERT '1. DOIBIBS, 0F CARDIFF, AND DMUND '1. OHN, or sWAN'sEA, WALES.

MEANS FOR INDIGATTNG THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL 0F VEHICLES AND VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. '7, 1919.

Application filed January 12. 1918. Serial No. 211.698.

DOBBS and EDMUND THOMAS J OHN, subjects spectively, at Cardiff and Swansea, both in the'county of Glamorgan, South Wales, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Indicating the Direc-' .tion of Travel of Vehicles and Vessels, of. which the following is a specification;

The object of the present invention is to provide simple and improved means for inv dicating, in front and to the rear of a vehicle or vessel, the direction of travel of the same, so that it may be clearly seen whether it is {proposed to keep straight ahead or. to turn to one side or to the other side.

According to the present invention we form a cylindrical casing made in two parts,

one of which is fixed at the side of the, .vehicle or vessel, and the other of which rotates about the fixed part. This casing is somewhat flat, and the front and rear faces, which are carried by the movable or rocking part, are made of opaque material or material which has been rendered opaque, and which is cutaway like a stencil,

or left translucent, to produce on each face any desired indicating device, such as an arrow. The movable part is provided with a handle so thatthe arrows may be moved to point directly upward or to the right, or

. to the left. .When the arrows are vertical,

they indicate that the vehicle or vessel is keeping on a straight course. When they are moved to the right or to the left, they 1 indicate that the vehicle or vessel is about to turn in the direction indicated.

This

preferably outlined with white paint or the like. V

It is preferable toprovide'the apparatus with means for automatically locking the movable part of the casing with respect to the fixed partto prevent the one part moving with respect to the other due to vibration. p

It is advantageous in some circumstances to provide means to enable the casing. to be i turned through90 on a vertical axis to v the .side of a vehicle when this latter is about to pass through a doorway. of the King of Great Britain, residing, re-

It is also advantageous to provide stops to limit the motion of the movable part around the fixed part.

'The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of apparatus, with the front of the casing omitted, and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a modification and is a vertical section, partly in elevation, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is'a side elevation, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fixed part of the casing consists of a ring made in two parts, a, a having on opposite sides corresponding lugs a and a which are screwed together. The lugs a are bored and pivoted by the bolt a to the bracket of, which is fixed to the vehicle or vessel. The fixed ring a, a carries an adapter or connection a for electric light wires and an automatic spring locking device consisting of a cap 6, a spring 6 located within the cap b and a locking piece in the form of a ball 5 pressed radially inward by the spring 6 The ring a, a is formed to receive the cap b and to allow the ball 72 to project therefrom.

This ball 6 enters shallow recesses c in the moving part of the casing, which consists of a sleeve 0 having a groove 0 to receive the fixed ring a, a The recesses c? are formed in the bottom of the groove 0 To one side of the sleeve 0 is fixed by means of screws the disk d of opaque material, which is cut away at 0Z in the form of an indicator such as an arrow outlined with white paint 03 To the other side ofthe' sleeve 0 is hinged another disk e of opaque material, which is also cut away at e in the form of an indicator such as an arrow. The disks (Z and c are each provided with clips f, and strips of translucent material 7, the rear one preferably red and the front one preferably white in the case of a road vehicle. On board ship the one rear light may be green to indicate the starboard side. The disk e is shown with a rib c entering a groove 0 in one face of the sleeve 0, which groove may contain a rubber ring 0?. Screw threaded studs 0* may be fixed in the groove 0 and wing-nuts c may be employed to &

keep the disk 6 closed against the sleeve 0.

The-sleeve c carries a plate 9 provided with electric lamps 9 which are connected by the wires 9 to the adapter a. The wires 9 are sufficiently long to allow the sleeve 0 to'be moved; The sleeve 0 is slotted at c" to allow the wires 9 to pass therethrongh and to receive the point of the adapter a; A handle c fixed to the sleeve 0 allows this latter to bereadily'rotated or'rocke'd with respect to the fixed ring a, a and the lugs of, a form stops to limit the'motion ofthe handlec Th'e'form of apparatus shown in'Figs. 3, 4: and 5 is adapted to be illuminated by means of anoil lamp; In this construction the fixed gartconsists of a pair or" are shaped carriers 7t, conl'ieeted'together in parallel planes and-by the lug/t which is bored and pivoted by the bolt a t'o'the bracket a in a similar manner to that shown in FigJ'Q. The car- 'riersli, h, ar'e'provided with outwardly exa ventilatinghood i The cylindrical part 3 sheets 5 of translucent nra terial which are fixed thereto'by' means of r1ngse' 1 in anyusual nia'nn'eij one sheet beingjpreferfpr'ess thi'sllatter'radlally inward so that 1t -=ably red and the other white, as above described In thisconstructionshown in Figs. 3, 4S and-5,.the' moving part of the casing con- ,sists oftwo segmental members b having flanges which are connected together by the legs Z of the'handle Z. V The segmental fnienilie'rs k" are located in the grooves h of the; fixed partand slide therein. To'each segmental flange 70 is fixed an indicator disk 70 ,whlch-ls cutawa atJc 1n the form of an mewbeam-ea with white paint e One of thelegs tear the handle Z, has a hole there- 'tlirough which is closed" at its upper end by we ca'p'V; l'n tli'e' lowenpart of the'said hole "is located a lockin Qp'ieoe Z having a guid- J-ing p'indIe'H; which-passes up and atits' uppe end enters the capll r Around the spindle] is a coiled spring' Z which; acting between the cap P acts to may enter shallow recesses if in one of the carriers h and thereby lock the indicator disk's the desired position. Suitablestops "hF, Z13 are formed on the carriers it, h,to

limit the motion of the inner end of the'plun- ,ger:Z andconseqnently' of the indicator disks 76 The stops J2 are so arranged that the plunger Z? is arrestedin position toienter one 6'5 o'fthe shallow recesses 72;.

What we claim as our invention is 1. An indicator for signaling the direction of travel of a moving object, having a eylin drical easing consistlngof a fixedpartcon. nected to the moving object and a movable part adapted to fit and slide around the'fixed part, opaque plates carried by the front and back of the'moving part and having a part in each in the form of an indicator allowing light to pass therethrough, translucent materialf-behind'eacli opaque plate; a handle connested tojthe moving part, and a source of light within the caslng.

2. 7 An indicator for signaling the direction of travel of a moving object having a cylindrical casing consisting of afixed'part connected to the moving obj ectand amovable part adaptedtofitandslide around the fixed part; op'aqueplates carried by'the-fro'nt and back off the moving part and having" a part in each in the'fo'r'm of an indicator allowing light to p ass theretir'rougli, translucent material behind each opaque plate, a handle; connected to the moving part, a source of light within the casing, and stops carriedby the fixed'part to liniitthe motion of the moving part. V

3. An'indicatorfor signaling the direction of travel olf a' moving object, havinga cylindrical 'ca sing'consisting of a fixed part conneetedito'the movingobject and a movable part adapted t'ofit andslide around thefiired part5 opaque plates carried bythe'front and back" of the moving part "and having a" part in each in theiorin of an .indicatortoi allow lightto pass therethr'o'ugh, translucent mate- 'rialibehind eae'lr opaquep'late, hanaleecnnected to} the movingpart; a sourcego'f light within the casing, a spring-pressed locking piece carried by one part, and shallow recesses in "the other part intowhich the spring-pressed"locking piece enters.

4i An indicator forsignalin-gthe direction of travel of a' moving obj ect,hav-in'g* a cylindrical casingconsisting of string made in two parts andcorresponding lugs on the said parts by'whi'c'h they are connected,aboltlpassing through two of the lugs and forming aipivot, a bracket to'which saidf'pivot isfiiz ed, amovingisle'eve-having a groove'arourfid its exterior to receive the saidring, a handle fixed to said moving sleeve, indicator plates carried by the'fron't andback of themoving sleeve and having partson both plates through which light may pass, clips carried" by said indicator plates, and translucent material held by said clips.

5; An indicator for signaling the direction oftravel of a movin -object; hav'inga cfvlin 'diical casing consisting of a ring made in two' parts: and corresponding lugs on the said parts by which they are connected,' bolt passing through two of the lugs and' forming a pivot, a bracket to which said pivot is around its exterior to receive the said ring, a handle fixed to said moving sleeve, indicator plates carried by the front and back of the moving sleeve and having translucent parts in both plates through which light may pass, clips carried by said indicator plates, translucent material held by said clips, an adapter carried by the said ring, wires connected to said adapter and passing through a slot in the moving sleeve, and elec tric lamps carried by the movingsleeve and connected to the said wires.

6. An indicator for signaling the direction of travel of a moving object, having a cylindrical casing consisting of a ring made in two parts and corresponding lugs on the said parts by which they are connected, acap 7 carried by said ring a spring located within the cap, a locking piece pressed radially inward by said spring and projecting through an aperture in the said ring, a bolt passing through two of the lugs and forming a pivot, a bracket to which said pivot is fixed, a moving sleeve having a groove around its exterior to receive the said ring and recesses to receive the said locking piece, a handle fixed to said moving sleeve, indicator plates carried by the front and back of the moving sleeve and having parts in both plates through which light may pass, clips carried by said indicator plates, and translucent ma terial held by said clips.

7. An indicator for signaling the direction of travel of a moving object, having a cylindrical casing consisting of a ring made in two parts and corresponding lugs on the said parts by which they are connected, a bolt passing through two of the lugs and forming a pivot, a bracket to which said pivot is fixed, a moving sleeve having a groove around its exterior to receive the said ring, a handle fixed to said moving sleeve, an indicator plate rigidly fixed to one side of the moving sleeve, another indicator plate hinged to the other side of said moving sleeve the said indicator plates each having a part allowing light to pass therethrough, clips carried by said indicator plates, and translucent material held by said clips.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

HERBERT T. Do-BBs. EDMUND T. JOHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

